Afterlives of Lydgate - RSA 2015 Berlin - DEADLINE: Monday June 2nd

John Lydgate epitomizes the fifteenth century. To many scholars, he fits easily in the space between the genius of Chaucer and the flowering of the Renaissance. His apparently deficient grasp of meter, his tendency towards loquaciousness, and his deference to his 'maister' Chaucer, all combine to make it easy to pigeon-hole Lydgate into a century whose literature is easy to overlook. Despite this latter-day designation, Lydgate maintained a strong presence amongst the reading public in England far beyond his own century. His works were among the first printed in English and he figured largely in the creation of a Chaucerian canon, being included in some of the earliest editions of Chaucer's works. This panel will explore Lydgate's impact on English literary history post-fifteenth century. What significance did he have on Renaissance literature? What importance should we draw from his print history? How should we view his status as a source for 'Mirror for Magistrates'? What about the recent resurgence in his popularity among scholars? Why are we suddenly interested in Lydgate again?